-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Prior police verification for issue of fresh passports may soon be a thing of the past, with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) proposing to rely on aadhaar card for identification of the applicant and on the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) database for validation of his/her criminal antecedents. With the applicant's self-declaration on aspects like citizenship, criminal antecedents, criminal proceedings, summons/warrants etc also thrown...

-Outlook New Delhi: The air quality in the national has deteriorated significantly and experts identified burning of agricultural wastes in neighbouring states as one of the major contributors to a visible haze over the city. As per official data, the air quality in the city has slipped into the category of "poor" following rapid increase of PM2.5 (respirable particles) level. The Air Quality Index value, calculated on the basis of PM 2.5 level,...

-IANS New Delhi: Health experts Monday urged the government to put oil and fat rich products under the Public Distribution System (PDS) so that people belonging to the lower income groups get enough of such products to protect them from diseases caused by their deficiency. The experts said that due to poor purchasing power, children in the lower income groups remain far behind the figure of 2,400 calories, the average number of...

-The Indian Express Recent announcements on possible changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and restrictions on its coverage are baffling and worrisome. The passing of the MGNREGA and the Right to Information Act heralded a new vision of citizenship and state responsibility. The former created a safety net for the rural poor. The latter gave taxpayers and voters an opportunity to bridge the gap between state...

-The Indian Express   Gandhinagar: Acting on a petition that, among other prayers, seeks compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for the families of 692 farmers who reportedly committed suicide in Gujarat between January 2003 and October 2012, a bench of Supreme Court issued notice to Gujarat Government directing it to file reply in four weeks. The petitioner group has been identified as Citizens Resource & Action Initiative (CRANTI). It had earlier,...